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Pages 89-128

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From page 89...
... 3 Leadership, Communication, and Culture in the Department of Homeland Security The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people. -- Woodrow Wilson The art of communication is the language of leadership.
From page 90...
... 90 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS say and do) ; what they regularly attend to, measure, and control; how they react to critical events and organizational crises; how they allocate resources, rewards, and status; how they recruit, select, promote, and sanction employees; and the extent to which they deliberately act as role models, teachers, and coaches (Schein, 2010; Sutcliffe, 2013)
From page 91...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 91 Partnership for Public Service1 (Partnership for Public Service, 2013) noted that although for many years federal employees generally have not given their leaders high marks, scores on leadership dropped markedly for the first time since 2003.
From page 92...
... 92 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS Alternatively, poor leadership (which the literature divides into abusive and passive leadership styles3) , including lack of supervisor social support, can have adverse effects on employees (Kelloway et al., 2005)
From page 93...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 93 BOX 3-1 NIOSH Total Worker Health Framework -- Leadership Demonstrate Leadership Commitment to worker health and safety, reflected in words and actions, is critical. The connection of workforce health and safety to the core products, services, and values of the company should be acknowledged by leaders and communicated widely.
From page 94...
... 94 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS of leadership both in establishing and supporting the framework and as a key component for individual growth (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2011)
From page 95...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 95 TABLE 3-1 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Results Related to Leadership DHS Government-Wide Positive, Positive, Average, Question % % 42. My supervisor supports my need to bal- 69.0 76.7 ance work and other life issues.
From page 96...
... 96 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS DHS Government-Wide Positive, Positive, Average, Question % % 56. Managers communicate the goals and 53.2 62.4 priorities of the organization.
From page 97...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 97 ployees who spoke with the committee felt a lack of support by leadership at any level in the department. Common complaints included the feeling that leaders at multiple levels often use workers as scapegoats, do not value them, and view them as easily replaceable.
From page 98...
... 98 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS retirement and resignation (GAO, 2012)
From page 99...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 99 They also spoke of visits from the secretary or high-level component leaders to their region in which they were given a "dog and pony show" by regional leaders instead of talking with frontline staff or supervisors about the issues that they face and about how they can be better supported in their missions. To increase employee morale and resilience, the committee believes that it is vital for top leaders in DHS and the component agencies to take an active interest in their employees.
From page 100...
... 100 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS cus[ing] on large, high dollar programs and policies at the expense of the basics of organizational success" (Allen, 2012)
From page 101...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 101 Grade Level (or equivalent) GS-1 GS-15/SES Executive CAPSTONE Leading the Capstone Cohort Program • Executive Coaching Institution • Continuous Development Crisis Leadership DHS SES CDP KEYSTONE Manager • Transition to Management positions Leading • Build capacity to lead with interagency perspective organizations • Manager and Mentor/Coach & Interagency in action and programs DHS Fellows CORNERSTONE Understanding the Supervisory Fundamentals of Continuous Leader Supervisor DHS Supervisory Onboarding DHS Leadership Development (Annual)
From page 102...
... 102 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS High priority has been placed on establishing the Cornerstone program, a set of baseline requirements that focuses on essential competencies for new and veteran supervisors, which has also been opened up to managers and executives at all levels (DHS, 2013b; Emerson, 2012; Savkar, 2013a)
From page 103...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 103 ADDRESSING LEADERSHIP GAPS The committee has observed a number of gaps regarding leadership in DHS that need to be addressed. Leaders are not born, they are grown; thus, to address deficiencies in leadership, DHS must institutionalize leadership development in its components.
From page 104...
... 104 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS mentally, and emotionally healthy. In its leadership development program, DHS needs to focus on developing resilient leaders and on inculcating the importance of readiness and resilience at all levels of the organization.
From page 105...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 105 uencies and institutions, representing "a form of ‘middle-out' leadership, seamlessly working up and down and across various organizational hierarchies, connecting with groups who might otherwise be excluded, and translating between constituencies." Fostering that type of leadership through its development program will help DHS to create the desired culture of readiness and resilience and to build interconnectedness throughout the organization, both within and between components. Finally, a program that brings together current and future leaders from the various components will encourage communication and reinforce crosscutting cultural threads.
From page 106...
... 106 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS program should include institutional education and training ap propriate to the level of responsibility and distinct from man agement skills training. The leadership development program should include mentorship, sponsorship,6 objective mechanisms for identifying high-potential employees, creation of leadership opportunities, and evidence informed measurement of leadership performance.
From page 107...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 107 possess or could possess. Strong communication shapes perceptions as well as relationships.
From page 108...
... 108 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS Communication in the Department of Homeland Security A vast majority of the 200,000 members of the DHS workforce are spread out across the country -- 84.3 percent work outside Washington, DC (OPM, 2012b)
From page 109...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 109 an employee assistance program (EAP) , many individuals the committee spoke with were not fully aware of the array of services or programs available and sometimes did not even know that they existed.
From page 110...
... 110 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS ent work units (for example, about projects, goals, needed resources) "; only 42.4 percent of respondents responded in the affirmative.
From page 111...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 111 DHS Government Results, % Average, % Question Positive Positive 56. Managers communicate the goals and priori- 53.2 62.4 ties of the organization.
From page 112...
... 112 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS ker mentality," stating that "whether it is with members of Congress, the press, or directly to the American people, 10 years after its establishment, the Department of Homeland Security seems to have developed serious challenges communicating its goals, priorities, tactics, and missions." ADDRESSING COMMUNICATION GAPS As DHS endeavors to build a ready and resilient workforce and to change its image, and indeed itself, effective communication is essential. "Leading change requires the use of a diverse set of communication techniques to deliver appropriate messages, solicit feedback, create readiness for change along with a sense of urgency, and motivate recipients to act" (Gilley et al., 2009)
From page 113...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 113 DHS needs to communicate consistently to the workforce their importance in achieving the mission -- that it cannot be done without them and that their institutional knowledge and expertise are valued and put to good use. DHS also needs to communicate to employees that improving employee readiness and resilience is in the best interest not only of DHS as an organization but of their own well-being.
From page 114...
... 114 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS important. When this consensus is also rewarded, clear norms can then emerge" (O'Reilly, 1989)
From page 115...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 115 workforce readiness and resilience to engage the workforce at every level in every component and headquarters office. The strategy should encourage bottom-up communication that en sures frontline input into decision making and idea generation.
From page 116...
... 116 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Successful reorganizations also require far more than simply creating a new organizational structure and providing legal authorities. Our study found that merging government agencies requires developing and communicating a clear vision; unifying managers, employees and very different cultures into a common mission; integrating complex and different financial, human resources and technology systems; changing relationships with important stakeholders; and navigating a complex political system.
From page 117...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 117 2012; Kotter, 1990)
From page 118...
... 118 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS was not properly acknowledged. In the corporate world, failure to account for existing organizational cultures has led to many unsuccessful mergers (Bundy and Hukins, 2009; Deloitte, 2009; Hewitt, 2011; Mercer, 2013)
From page 119...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 119 Organizational Culture in the Department of Homeland Security Attempts to create a core DHS culture that components identify with has been generally unsuccessful (Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton, 2011)
From page 120...
... 120 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS ORIGINAL AGENCY/DEPARTMENT CURRENT OFFICE WITHIN DHS AGRICULTURE Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Plum Island Disease Center FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT National BW Defense Analysis Center TRAINING CENTER DEFENSE National Communications System NATIONAL PROTECTION AND PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE CBRN Countermeasures Program OFFICE OF CYBERSECURITY Energy Security And Assurance Program AND COMMUNICATIONS ENERGY Environmental Measurements Laboratory OFFICE OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION Nuclear Incident Response Team Nationasl Domestic Preparadness Office OFFICE OF OPERATIONS COORDINATION FBI National Infrastructure Protection Center SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency DIRECTORATE Federal Computer Incident Response Center TRANSPORTATION SECURITY GSA ADMINISTRATION The Federal Protective Service Domestic Emergency Support Teams US-CERT JUSTICE The Immigration And Naturalization Service U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES Office for Domestic Preparedness TSA The Transportation Security Administration U.S.
From page 121...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 121 some citing rampant favoritism in the process. Some employees reported fear of approaching their supervisors to discuss problems, or even innovative ideas, because they worried that it would be used against them when promotion opportunities came along.
From page 122...
... 122 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS Creating and sustaining an organizational ability to adapt is critical for achieving a successful, ready, and resilient DHS. Heifetz et al.
From page 123...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 123 tained cultural change. The committee has referred to culture throughout this report in terms of leadership, trust, engagement, and so on, these are all features of a core culture that will help to build and sustain a ready and resilient workforce.
From page 124...
... 124 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS Blunt, R
From page 125...
... LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE 125 Duncan, J
From page 126...
... 126 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council.
From page 128...
... 128 A READY AND RESILIENT WORKFORCE FOR DHS US House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management.

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